Government announcements on 19 July

The government’s guidance reflecting the change to Step 4 in England – the so-called ‘Freedom Day’ – has been updated on the following subjects:

Managing public outdoor settings

MHCLG has published new guidance for local authorities and the owners and operators of lands open to the public on how to manage various settings in a COVID-safe manner:

  • green spaces
  • outdoor playgrounds
  • outdoor gyms
  • tourist hotspots (beaches, the countryside and coastal areas)

The guidance covers issues such as hygiene, toilets, holding events, the use of marshals, dealing with anti-social behaviour, car parking, beach safety and waste management.

Announcements of COVID Passports for large, crowed settings; testing instead of self-isolation

Minister Nadhim Zahawi has announced that Government will require people to be fully vaccinated to attend “large crowded settings” such as nightclubs from the end of September once all over-18s have had the chance to receive both vaccine doses and develop immunity.

He also announced that the Government is going to extend the scheme allowing people who are fully vaccinated to use regular testing as an alternative to isolation if they have been in contact with someone testing positive.  This should reduce problems businesses are experiencing regarding  the number of staff that are able to come into work. However, he suggested that this would be restricted to people who provide a vital public service, such as train station managers.

Guidance will follow.